99designs.com Named Best Startup Idea by Smartcompany

San Francisco/Melbourne
30 Nov 2009

BUSINESS WIRE -- 99designs.com, the largest marketplace for crowdsourced graphic design, has been named the ‘Best Startup Idea’ in the 2009 SmartCompany Crown Lager Business Startup Awards. SmartCompany and Crown Lager created the Business Startup Awards to recognize Australia’s fastest growing startups and most innovative entrepreneurs. 99designs was additionally recognized in the top 15 of the 50 fastest growing startups.

99designs.com enables businesses to quickly and inexpensively source custom designed logos, websites, business cards or any other graphic design work by launching design projects open to a global community of over 52,000 graphic designers. The average design project sees 99 custom design submissions, significantly reducing the risks typically associated with qualifying and hiring a freelancer or a design agency.

To launch a design project customers simply define their needs and set their budget. The design community then begins submitting designs for consideration and the project holder guides the process by providing feedback on the submitted work. Designers iterate and submit designs until the project closes, at which time the project holder picks a winner and leaves with a finished design.

“A unique and consistent brand image is crucial to business success, however, many small businesses struggle with branding because of the expense and difficulty of hiring a professional designer,” said Mark Harbottle, founder of 99designs.com. “By taking an innovative crowdsourcing approach, 99designs offers unparalleled choice at unbeatable prices. It’s an honor to have our efforts recognized by SmartCompany and Crown Lager with the 2009 Best Startup Idea Award.”

About 99designs

99designs is the largest marketplace for crowdsourced graphic design, connecting passionate designers from around the globe with savvy clients who need design projects completed in a timely fashion without the usual risk or cost associated with professional design services. It has held over 28,000 design contests to date with over 2,600,000 unique designs submitted. For more information please visit: 99designs.com.

Contact:
Jason Aiken
99designs
jason@99designs.com